Ever Thought of Relocating? Join Curiousa & Curiousa in Wirksworth, Derbyshire

Curiousa & Curiousa’s Design Director Esther Patterson is pictured here on the left who’s studio is located in Wirksworth, Paula Moss & Maxine Hall of Blackpop are pictured right, who have also made the Derbyshire market town their home. Photo credits - Esther by Jack Bridgland. Max & Paula by Chris Webb.

In our opinion Wirksworth is a hidden gem, a great place to live and work. Esther Patterson, founder of Curiousa & Curiousa, has lived and worked here for twenty four years and loves it. Esther says, "I'm a country bumpkin at heart and wouldn't be able to exist without fresh air, hills and nature all around me. It's what makes me tick."  

Esther set up Curiousa in Wirksworth in 2010 and really appreciated the support and great sense of community it offered. "It's been a difficult time for many of us during the COVID 19 pandemic but being here has been a real blessing and we've all really pulled together through this."

Wirksworth itself, an old lead mining town, has lots of hidden and magical features of which Esther first fully discovered twenty odd years ago at the Wirksworth Art and Architecture Trail - a two week annual arts festival where art is displayed in people's houses, gardens and other public spaces.

Click here for 'Made in Wirksworth' curated by Denis O'Connor, photographs by Chris Webb 

Blackpop, also having visited the festival many times and already with many friends and colleagues in Wirksworth, moved to the town just over a year ago from Derby City. They were attracted by its' rural arts scene and came up with the idea that Wirksworth could be a great hub for not just artists but designers too. Maxine says, “We think Wirksworth has a lot to offer, it has a Dickensian aesthetic alongside a contemporary mindset, with hidden quirks and lashings of love vibes. After we moved in we instantly got the feeling that Wirksworth was continually transitioning and Blackpop was a part of this. It's a great place for more designers, so come and join us and help make Wirksworth a go-to Derbyshire Design District!"

If your imagination is piqued, get in touch and we can help you find the perfect place to relocate your design business. 

Alice Moylan of Beauvamp, pictured right, creates hand-made silk lampshades and printmaker Bernie Rutter, pictured left, each work from their Wirksworth based studios. Photo credits - Alice by Fiona Walker Arnott. Bernie by Chris Webb.

If you would like to talk to us about a bespoke lighting commission then get in touch with us on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk.  You can download the new brochure to see our full range or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Design Director Esther Patterson Makes The Front Page In May’s Studio Magazine

In the last 10 years, Curiousa & Curiousa’s Design Director Esther Patterson has led the business a long way from its humble beginnings.

The Curiousa & Curiousa stand at last year’s Clerkenwell Design Week, housed in Fabric Nightclub, struck a chord with Studio Magazine’s Elspeth Pridham who has featured Design Director Esther Patterson in this month’s Studio magazine.

In the last decade Esther has come a long way since her debut show at Tent London and the piece in Studio magazine charts her journey from her first commission through to some stand out pieces that have proved to be career-changing turning points for Esther over the last 10 years.

See the May issue of Studio Magazine online here and flick to page 8 to read the full story. 

Read the full article in this month’s Studio Magazine online.

If you would like to talk to us about a bespoke lighting commission then get in touch with us on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk.  You can can download the new brochure to see our full range or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Celebrating Collaboration! A Focus on Chiselwood Kitchens & A Glorious Manor House Kitchen and Butler’s Pantry

Five Lotus Dine Lights from our range hang proudly over velvet upholstered chairs and the modern-styled dining table in this focal room, creating the perfect balance in this high ceilinged space. Photo by Darren Chung

We love working with Chiselwood Kitchens, and they proved that, once again, they know how to master drama in this beautiful dining kitchen and butler’s pantry design for a grandly scaled Manor House project.

The owners of this property wanted to respect the period features of the rooms in their home that includes panelling, window shutters, original fireplaces and beautiful plaster detailing on high ceilings.  With four young children in the family, they also needed a space that offered practical areas to enjoy family life, and for entertaining their circle of extended family and friends.

Chiselwood Kitchen’s designer, Martin Holliday, responded to this brief perfectly and the photos of the finished design shown here are just stunning.

The twin central islands in the kitchen space are key elements of the design. Featuring no less than 10 of our hand blown Stemmed Rounds, using a Smoked Olive stem and Yellow Ochre shades for a visually dramatic effect. Photo by Darren Chung

Martin wanted bold use of colour with this design and chose lighting from Curiousa & Curiousa in colours that complemented the fabric and furnishings in the space.

The photo above shows the twin central islands in the kitchen area that are key to the design.  One island features a teppanyaki and innovative Bora extraction unit with eight luxuriously upholstered kitchen stools for guests to perch at.  The other island is a preparation area and features a sink with elegant brass tap fittings that picks out the golden hues of the handles and edging in the kitchen units.

Picking up on the golden hues of the brass fittings and edging, ten of our Stemmed Round lights have been suspended over the kitchen islands, blown in Yellow Ochre with Smoked Olive Stems that contrast wonderfully with the teal colouring of the upholstery and feature painted cabinets elsewhere in the kitchen’s design.

The beauty of this design is in the detail. Every element of this uniquely contemporary design visually links the rooms and zones into one cohesive space. Photo by Darren Chung

The space is huge and beyond the main kitchen there’s a dining area located in front of the ornate fireplace, an original feature that was retained along with many other original features in the room.

The bespoke dining table in this area is a unique contemporary piece that seats 14, making it perfect for entertaining.  Martin designed this table for the project and it was handcrafted in-house by the Chiselwood team.  The twin pedestal base is painted in Little Greene Mid Azura Green and topped in Rosslyn by Cambria, these colour choices tie with the upholstery fabric chosen for the project.  There’s also a woven brass finish trim detail below the table surface that unifies with the fittings used in the rest of the design scheme.

The kitchen dining room space is on a grand scale that matches the majestic proportions of the property. Photo by Darren Chung

The original fireplace in this room is a beautiful feature that contrasts well with the contemporary styling of the dining table and chairs. Photo by Darren Chung

The client loved the fact that our light shades are hand-blown, creating a bespoke and unique feel to each piece.  As can be seen from these shots, the colours chosen balance this design really well, but they also change the atmosphere of the room after dark bringing a warm, soft glow to the room that’s just perfect for evening entertainment.

We absolutely loved being involved in this project, and love working with Martin on Chiselwood Kitchen designs.  Watch this space for more featured projects on our blog sometime very soon!

If you would like to talk to us about a bespoke lighting commission or discuss products in our current range, then get in touch with us on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk.  You can download the new brochure to see our full range or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Introducing The Isabel Chandelier from Curiousa & Curiousa

Add a touch of elegance to your home with the opulence of the new Isabel Chandelier, born out of a collaborative design process with Design Director Esther Patterson’s good friend, Isabel Cordero-Padilla. Photo: Chris Webb

We are really excited to announce the latest addition to our hand-blown glass statement lighting chandelier range.  Say hello to the Isabel Chandelier!

Providing opulence in any room or stairwell, including an IP rated alternative for the bathroom, the Isabel Chandelier was first inspired by designer Esther Patterson’s close friend Isabel Cordero-Padilla. Isabel had commissioned a chandelier for her bedroom and came to the Curiousa workshop to get inspired.

Esther said of the design process with her friend, “Isabel has a very adventurous personality and has always been an inspiration to me. It was her idea to mix semi-opaque glass shades with small bone china stems I’d handmade for a previous project. So it was only right that we named this brand new chandelier in homage to her!”

Hand-made to order, the Isabel Chandelier is designed using bone china and hand-blown transparent glass stems with semi-opaque shades in Aqua, Lichen, Blau and Rosa. These delicate choices create an ethereal centrepiece, emanating a subtle, delicate style.

Esther said, “I love the combination of the soft semi-opaque glass with the delicate creamy nature of bone china. They combine so beautifully and it’s a chance for me to return to a material I love to work with. I’m so happy to be back in my ceramic workshop bringing this beautiful material into my lighting designs.”

Choose from a calming and lighter palette when designing your chandelier as pictured here, or alternatively select from other bolder colours from the 24 options in our range for a look unique to you and your space.

Allowing for an extra level of choice, the bathroom alternative for the Isabel Chandelier is IP65 standard rated for use in all wet areas, near sinks, baths and shower areas. Each light piece is made to measure using round, fabric covered (non-twisted) flex and featuring an enclosed LED G9 bulb.

There are 24 glass colours to choose from with various fitting finishes and flex colours. To add further flexibility, most glass shapes from the current range can be added to make each chandelier installation totally unique.

The interplay of softer colours from a calming palette with intricacy of shape and texture makes the Isabel Chandelier an ethereal centrepiece for any room in the house.

Each bone china element is designed and hand-made by Esther in her personal ceramic workshop. Likewise every piece of Curiousa glass is hand-blown in England, with each of their glassblowers using the centuries-old technique of free-blowing, forming the shape of the glass literally by hand and by tool, without the use of moulds.

So if you are looking for a lighting design for your home that has an extra special touch of elegance and opulence, take a closer look at the Isabel Chandelier.

If you would like to talk to us about a bespoke lighting commission for bedroom, bathroom or living space, then get in touch with our sales team on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk.  You can download the new brochure or our new Look Book to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Our Glass Pendants Make The Perfect Centrepiece At The Revamped Martin Moore Showroom In Fulham

The Martin Moore showroom in Fulham has had a revamp, and it looks great!

We love working with Martin Moore Designs who specialise in custom-designed, craftsmen-built kitchens. They have eight kitchen design showrooms across the UK including Notting Hill, Fulham and Muswell Hill in London, Old Amersham, Tunbridge Wells and Esher in the South East, and Altrincham and Elland in the North.

Our friends at the Fulham showroom sent us this picture of their revamped space, and we are really pleased to see Curiousa & Curiousa glass pendants from our Classic range taking centre stage!

If you would like to talk to us about a bespoke lighting commission for your kitchen or bathroom and are unsure about where you would like to site one of our lights, our glass pendant lights are IP45 rated making them suitable for wet areas.

Get in touch with our friendly sales team on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk for more advice.  You can download the new brochure or our new Look Book to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Create A Perfectly Balanced Look In Your Bedroom, Bathroom or Living Space Design

A lone Acid Drop Pendant lifts the muted colouring of this bedroom scheme and picks up the accents of colour of the other features in the room. Photo courtesy of Blinds2Go

A selection of our hand blown glass pendant lights were recently featured in a photoshoot to launch a new range of blinds for Blinds2Go designed by luxury fabric designer Clarissa Hulse. When we got our copies back, we just wanted to share them here, as the styling of these rooms is just fabulous, set off perfectly, might we say, by accents of colour from our lights!

We hope this provides some inspiration for you if you are taking on an interior design project or are looking to restyle a room in 2020. Enjoy!

A trio of our Classic Pendants balances this space perfectly. Photo courtesy of Blinds2Go

A bathroom design to die for! All the cool blue hues make this a tranquil haven to retreat to and soak away your cares. A Classic Bowl in Turkish Blue completes the look. Photo courtesy of Blinds2Go

If you would like to talk to us about a bespoke lighting commission for bedroom, bathroom or living space, then get in touch with our sales team on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk for more advice.  You can download the new brochure or our new Look Book to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Pied a Terre London’s Michelin Star Kitchen Is a Home From Home

Michelin starred restaurant Pied a Terre on Charlotte Street in London now features this beautifully custom-designed and craftsman-built kitchen by Martin Moore.

We have worked on numerous projects with Martin Moore Designs who specialise in custom-designed, craftsmen-built kitchens in large open-plan spaces, but we are stunned by how beautiful this much more intimately scaled new kitchen in London’s Pied a Terre restaurant is!

Martin Moore were commissioned to design and build a luxurious, domestic-scale kitchen upstairs at the Michelin-starred restaurant Pied à Terre in Central London.  The restaurant wanted to offer unique new experiences, cookery masterclasses, private dining and a more intimate Chef’s Table than anywhere else in London, so have converted this first floor room above the restaurant.  The resulting ‘home from home’ look of this kitchen design focusses around a central island where guests can private dine whilst watching the chef create dishes, or alternatively it can be used as a working kitchen for masterclasses.  The resulting design had to be both luxurious as well as practical and we think the results strike the perfect balance.

Suspended above the central island is a Curiousa & Curiousa lighting design installation that features a colourful and eclectic mix of shades from our Classic Range in a fresh and vibrant palette to add accents of colour to the overall design.

The bespoke lighting design installation features 9 shades blown in Evergreen, Emerald, Teal, Yellow Ochre, Slate Grey Steel Blue and Smoked Olive.

This is a classic contemporary kitchen design that features opulent and exciting textures from velvet to ribbed glass with every detail attended to, and includes specially-commissioned crockery, cutlery and glassware.  The palette has Nordic inspirations, using warm neutrals highlighted by vivid jewel-bright pops this chandelier brings.  

The 9 hand blown glass shades that make up this design are a mixture of Classics and Pears in varying sizes.  These shades are suspended from a square raft on the ceiling, made from mild steel and powder coated in white, allowing the colours and shapes of the glass to take centre stage.  With plenty of natural light entering this space, the glass shades capture the sunlight during the day and the LED bulbs - a mix of LED Pear Filament, LED Mini Tube Filament and LED Golf Ball bulbs - offer a warm light after dark to create a cosy and homely ambience to the space.

We love the ‘home from home’ feel of this kitchen that has plenty of natural sunlight and overlooks leafy Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia in London.

Pictured: Richard Moore, Design Director of Martin Moore, David Moore, Pied a Terre restaurant owner and Michelin star Chef Asimakis Chaniotis.

If you have a lighting project that you would like to discuss with us, get in touch with our design team who will be able to advise you.  Call on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk for more details.

You can download our new brochure to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Homes & Antiques Magazine February 2020 Feature On The Eclectic Styling Of The Malthouse

Spotted in the February 2020 edition of Homes & Antiques Magazine is a feature on, Curiousa & Curiousa founder, Esther Patterson’s home that she shares in the Derbyshire town of Wirksworth with husband Paul.

When it comes to styling and creativity, Curiousa and Curiousa’s Design Director Esther takes this job home with her.  Spotted in this month’s Homes & Antiques Magazine is a feature piece by Serena Fokschaner and beautiful photography by James Balston of the Malthouse, home to Esther Patterson and husband Paul.  So read on and take a step inside the Malthouse in Wirksworth where art and salvaged furniture have helped the couple to create a warm and homely space.

The Malthouse is filled with the work of creative friends such as the uniquely artisanal chair by Full Grown seen above in the bedroom shot here, fabrics and upholstery by friends and collaborators Black Pop, and choice pieces found in flea markets, antiques and curios shops.  Art by local friends also adorns the bare brick walls, by local artists Pat Shenstone, Anna Collette Hunt, Isabel Cordero and Ian Groom, all curated perfectly, with each piece finding its space.

Art pieces by friends and local artists adorn the walls, rubbing alongside flea market finds and commissioned pieces such as this Blackpop covered sofa.

Of course, Esther’s creativity is also given a free reign and the whole property has pieces made by Esther dotted around the home, including the stunning wallpaper in the master bedroom (pictured as the lead image above).  Another large mural that features in the dining room area was created by Esther and Paul’s son Gabriel bringing a dominant and colourful feature to this part of the space. 

Husband Paul also contributed hands-on creativity to the space, constructing many of the features within the home, making him the perfect partner in crime in pulling this beautiful interior together.  As Esther states in the Homes & Antiques piece, the couple “both love making things, so it was important our home reflected that.”

A large mural created by Esther and Paul’s son Gabriel is a striking feature in the bright and airy dining area of the apartment.

The whole space is open-plan, with glazed screens at either end of the central living area providing bedrooms at either end of the property.  This brings plenty of light into the characterful space, which was originally a malthouse for storing dry grain for brewing.  Much of the building’s industrial heritage has been preserved with the open-plan architecture, which provides the perfect backdrop for the colourful pieces of art, furniture, rugs and feature walls.

The Malthouse has an urban loft feel, occupying the first floor of the building. Downstairs contains another surprise though.  The ground floor of the property is home to the Northern Light Cinema, a business also owned by Esther and Paul and the cinema continues the styling theme set by apartment above.

The decor in the Northern Light Cinema has a vintage vibe, giving it a bohemian feel that has proved a hit with cinema goers in the town. Curiousa & Curiousa’s lights are featured throughout the Northern Light Cinema. Here on the right, you can see a mass installation of the Acid Drop pendants in the bar area.

As an independent cinema, its aim is to make a trip to the movies a great night out offering a bar and Mediterranean-style food where cinema goers can gather socially before and after watching a film from the varied programme.

The opulent styling of the interior aims to bring some glamour of the big screen to the town, with plenty of vintage furniture and lots of lighting from the Curiousa & Curiousa range illuminating this stylish space.  The cinema itself is a single-screen 52-seat auditorium with a mix of two-seater sofas, armchairs and original cinema seats… plus of course tables to rest your drinks and cushions to make you comfortable.  It is not your average multiplex!

Curiousa & Curiousa lighting designs are peppered around the home bringing bright accents of colour to the eclectic layout.

Plenty of Curiousa & Curiousa pieces are placed, draped, hung and festooned around the property, both upstairs and downstairs in the cinema. Esther and Paul’s home has become a testing ground for newly developed lighting designs. There are prototypes hanging alongside established designs that are still in development and the eagle-eyed amongst you might spot a few designs featured here that aren’t already in the main range. 

All we can say is… watch this space!

Our friendly team is on hand to talk to you about your next interior design project from individual residential interiors projects to larger commercial interior fit outs including large chains in the UK and abroad. Get in touch with us on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk to discuss.

Download the new brochure to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website. 

Curiousa & Curiousa Celebrate A 10 Year Anniversary in 2020

The image that launched Curiousa & Curiousa! Shot by our good friend and photography Chris Webb, we never imagined the impact this image would have in helping us launch as a business so quickly back in 2010. These lights went on to win an Elle Decoration Award at Tent London in Shoreditch, and the rest, as they say, is history!

In 2010, Curiousa & Curiousa founder, Esther Patterson, had recently graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a First Class Degree in Decorative Arts and had just begun the Curiousa & Curiousa journey by launching her first collection. 

From humble beginnings in the caravan parked on her drive that served as her studio, she has since spent the last decade building the brand to what it is today.  Employing a small team at the Wirksworth Headquarters at Haarlem Mill, and drawing upon the very best of traditional, local craftsmenship, Curiousa & Curiousa is now well known for its innovative designs and hand blown glass lighting pieces.

Esther initially launched the Curiousa & Curiousa range to include wallpapers, fabric and furniture as well as ceramic lighting, but it was her range of glass lighting which really caught the public’s imagination as well as gaining an Elle Decoration award in the early days.

Esther thanks Liberty London and Jamie Oliver for being early supporters of her work that really helped to launch the Curiousa brand.  Her designs were commissioned to hang in Liberty’s café and Jamie Oliver’s restaurants, as well as finding an early retail outlet listing via Liberty.  A first large commission came from Harvey Nichols and since then, Esther has never looked back!

One of the first commissions for Esther were these large Ruby pendants that hang in the Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor café.

The Hayward Gallery approached Esther and commissioned a new lighting design to hang in their shop alongside their Light Show in 2013.  From this commission, the Triptych Stacks were born and have since become a firm best-selling design in the Curiousa & Curiousa range.

This development was another turning point for Curiousa & Curiousa and as Esther comments about the Hayward Gallery commission, “This really opened up the possibility to create much larger lighting installations.  We now produce not only a whole range of ‘sculptural stack lights’ but also large stairwell and statement chandeliers.”

Initially launched as a commission for the Hayward Gallery in 2013, the Triptych Stacks range has become a best-seller with over 12 designs to the range now.

Large Stairwell Chandeliers and statement lighting designs are frequently commissioned, with each site-specific space offering up its own opportunities and challenges.

Stairwell Chandeliers take lighting design execution to a new realm as the pieces need to work in so many more perspectives. Addressing the complexities of the space in which a chandelier is to hang is one of the challenges Esther enjoys best.

The new Ume Silk Lanterns range has recently been added to Curiousa & Curiousa’s range that allows Esther to go back to her roots exploring fabrics, the printing process and an alternative medium for her lighting designs.

Each piece is designed not only with its visual appeal in mind, but with its installation and maintenance also considered from the start. This approach, along with a dedication to innovation, has been central to the growing reputation of Curiousa & Curiousa.  Having achieved IP65 accreditation, the majority of the range can now be used in wet areas such as bath and shower rooms as well as outdoor spaces.

Having introduced a new range of hand-made silk lanterns as well as launching bespoke wall coverings and fabrics, Esther is excited to expand the range further still.  The Umes were received to great accolade at Decorex International in 2019, and have allowed Esther to go back to her roots in exploring fabric and wallpaper design, which is where her journey began. 

In 2020 Esther also plans to work with slip cast china again – reintroducing this beautiful material into her range in 2020. “It’s really exciting to explore new ways of working and I can’t wait to launch my new collection, including the lovely translucency of bone china, a material that works so well with hand-blown glass.”

If you would like to talk to us about a bespoke lighting commission, or discuss products in our current range, then get in touch with our sales team on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk.  You can download the new brochure to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Country & Town House Magazine January 2020: A Slice Of Paradise

Spotted in the January 2020 edition of Country & Town House Magazine is our newly launched Antonio Wall Light. Pictured with Blackpop’s newly launched Paradise wallpaper.

We might be in the depths of the winter months and wanting to snuggle back down under the duvet, but the lighter palette of the new Antonio Wall Light brings us hope of a summer yet to come. 

Spotted in this month’s Country & Town House Magazine is our Antonio pendant that has been inspired by the Fabio pendant light. This light can be hung as a wall light as pictured, or as a single pendant, in a group or as part of a bespoke chandelier. Blown to a lighter shade from our range of 23 colours gives a whole new palette for us to experiment with and the results are uplifting. 

Whilst the peachy-pink blooms of summer are still far ahead of us, we can dream of warm summer nights with what Country & Town House Magazine describes as a small slice of paradise to give a statement wall a new year facelift.

Try out this beautiful Antonio design in different colourways to suit your style.

Download the new brochure to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website. You can also get in touch with us on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk.

Christmas at Curiousa & Curiousa

We’re looking forward to taking some time out to spend Christmas with family and friends, and wish our customers past and present the very best of wishes for the festive period.

We always look forward to the festive season at Curiousa & Curiousa. The dark winter nights provide the perfect backdrop to our hand-blown coloured glass lights, which take on a magical, joyous feel all of their own.

Design Director Esther Patterson says, “I love my work but also know how important it is to take time off – so my message to everyone is to enjoy your time together to rest and relax with family, friends and loved ones – and of course, enjoy your lights!”

We’ll be closing our doors on Friday 20 December until Monday 6 January 2020, and so if you have any sales enquiries or projects you would like to talk to us before we disappear for the Christmas break, please get in touch with us this week on on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk and our team will be on hand to help.

You can download our new brochure to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Spotted! Curiousa & Curiousa’ Pendant Cluster Takes Centre Stage On Grand Designs!

This bespoke 4-drop Pendant Cluster Chandelier provides a central focus for the airy living space in our client’s Grand Designs featured home.

It was thrilling to spot a bespoke 4-drop Pendant Cluster in the 23 October 2019 airing of Grand Designs earlier this month.  We have had people visiting us at our Wirksworth studio after the show asking about this, so we know that we aren’t the only ones to have spotted this!

The interior design of this open plan living space concentrates on a muted colour palette with injections of colour that unify the space.  The chandelier design featured is made up of four different shades from our Classic Pendants range.  Featured is a Medium Classic Round in Slate Grey, a Medium Classic Teardrop in Slate Grey, a Medium Classic Traditional in Indigo and a Small Classic Traditional in Slate Grey.  They cascade down from the apex of the ceiling suspended on a single 120mm ceiling rose in wonderful balance, creating a central focal point over the dining table to unify the space.

We have worked with many interior designers and stylists on residential projects installing our bespoke chandeliers in wonderful double height spaces like this one featured here and down stairwells and in atriums.  If you have a project in mind that you would like to discuss, get in touch with our design team who will be able to advise you.  Call on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk for more details.

You can download our new brochure to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Meet Antonio, The English Cousin To Our Fabio Pendant Light

The Antonio is a stunning glass pendant light that is based on the Fabio, but rather than being blown in Murano is blown here in England by our Master Glassblower.

We’ve spent some time perfecting a new design – shown here as a marriage of our Antonio pendant and an oak Deco Wall Light (also available in walnut) and it works fantastically well as a bedside light bringing a gentle ambience to your most private of spaces in the home.

The Antonio pendant is inspired by the Fabio pendant light, but rather than being blown in Murano is produced locally to us in Derbyshire by our Master Glassblower.  This light can also be hung as a single pendant, group or as part of a bespoke chandelier. The shade and stem can be blown in any combination of our 23 glass colours giving you plenty of choice in how you style this beautiful light.

Two Worlds Come Together

Working with local creatives is a core value for us here at Curiousa & Curiousa and we collaborate with many of the talented craftspeople that we find ourselves fortunate to be surrounded by.

Launched at Decorex this year, we loved this Blackpop wallpaper so much we wanted to pair it with our new Antonio pendant.  This stunning Blackpop wallpaper is called ‘Paradise’ and makes the perfect backdrop to this brand new wall light design that we’ve been developing over the recent months.

We've mounted our Antonio pendant here on a handmade oak Deco Wall Light arm, suspending a hand-blown Blush shade and Purple fluted glass - blown slightly paler for that soft romantic look and think it looks fabulous with Blackpop‘s latest creation!

A Derbyshire Hub of Creativity

Wirksworth has long been a hub for creativity with over 100 practicing artists and craftspeople making their home here. Both Blackpop's and Curiousa's studios are in this beautiful Derbyshire market-town and we love that this is where we call home.

Not only is our location worth a visit, nestled in the glorious Derbyshire Dales, but you can also book an appointment to visit each of our showrooms on the same day as we work just five minutes’ drive from each other. There's also Beauvamp, a fantastic local lampshade maker in the area too, so even more reason to pay us a visit. 

To celebrate our tenth year in business, we have a new purpose-built showroom being prepared and will be ready to open our doors in early 2020.  Watch this space for news on our plans for a showroom launch party in the New Year…

In meantime, consult your diary and make some time to come to Wirksworth on an ‘interior design safari’ and see what ideas you can pick up!

The Antonio pendant is pictured here with the Deco Wall Light arm, a stem blown in a semi-opaque Rosa and a Blush shade.

We work with interior designers, architects, commercial designers and fit-out companies on a whole range of residential and commercial interiors.  Take a look at the projects portfolio on our website for commissions we’ve delivered both in the UK and internationally.  If you have a project in mind, then get in touch with the studio on studio@curiousa.co.uk or call us on +44(0) 1629 826284

Thanks to local Wirksworth photographer Chris Webb for the photos too!

Curiousa & Curiousa’s Lights Are Made By Many Hands

Many hours of work go into every piece that leaves the Curiousa & Curiousa studio, with our lighting designs being hand made by skilled artisans to the highest of standards.

Since 2010, Curiousa & Curiousa has been producing innovative and original hand-made lights designed by our founder and Design Director Esther Patterson.  We employ the best of traditional British craftsmanship, skills and techniques and work with local artisans, makers and craftsmen.  When you buy a piece from our wide range of luxurious lighting designs, you can be assured that the piece you receive is truly unique.

Traditional glassblowing techniques are a fascinating process that produces the finest quality of glass that goes into our glass lighting designs

Every piece of our glass is hand-blown using age old traditional techniques and skills that, despite a world of ever-growing technology, are very little changed. Blown without the use of moulds, each bespoke creation is formed and shaped by hand and by tool by blowers Anthony Wassell and Jonathan Abbott in Derbyshire for each and every commission we receive.

Traditional glass-blowing is a process that cannot be rushed, relying on the creative eye and skilled, fluid movements of the glassblower to perfect every order. From a single pendant light to the largest stairwell chandelier, each piece is given the same meticulous attention to detail and the highest possible standards of production.

Local Derbyshire carpenter Matt Richardson produces our walnut and oak components that go into our Glass Sculptural Stacked Lights, working in concert with the intrinsic beauty of these timbers. Our tassels are hand-made and dip dyed before being hand sewn onto our silk lanterns and glass lighting designs.

Our walnut and oak components are hand-turned on a lathe by experienced woodworkers, our opulent silk lanterns are hand printed and then individually sewn onto the frames by our skilled seamstress and textile artist Emma Hrubiak.  Meanwhile, our tassels are hand-made and dip-dyed by Jessica Light; even our metal suspension plates and rings are finished by hand.

Not only is every piece of our glass hand-blown, each piece of wood hand turned and every frame and hanging hand-forged or hand-worked, but it is then hand finished and hand assembled in our rural Derbyshire workshop.

There is no production line at Curiousa & Curiousa, and here you can see Georgia Errett at work. We hand make each component part of our lights before hand-assembling and carefully packaging our designs out to locations across the world.

All of this goes into lovingly handcrafting each and every light before it is inspected and carefully packaged, ready for dispatch to our customers.  We have a small close-knit team working from a historic Derbyshire mill in the beautiful Peak District.  Each of Esther's designs seeks to bring out the intrinsic beauty of the materials used and is what has cemented Curiousa's reputation as a design house of bespoke quality and artisanal excellence.

Exclusive lighting designs, made by many hands.

Download the new brochure to see our full range, or take a look at our range right here on the website.

Fabulous Sirens Light Up The Elder Press Café In Hammersmith!

An eclectic array of Siren Wall Light designs adds a wonderful pop of colour to the Elder Press Café in Hammersmith.

We recently worked with the talented Kate Guinness to produce lights for a commission she had received to design and fit out the interior of a new healthy eating café in Hammersmith, the Elder Press Café.

Jess at Kate Guinness Design sent us these photos of the bright and airy interior and we love what she has done with this space!

Featured from the range are a Siren Bass in Lichen that can be seen in the shot below, two bespoke Alto Lights in Ruby and Yellow that can be seen in the shot above that we made without the ceramic plates. Also in the shot above is a Treble Darley in Indigo and Turkish Blue, and at the far end in Blau and Evergreen.  Creating a colourful mix to the light installation that leads the eye.

The bright and airy interior of the café features 5 lights from our Siren Wall Lights range that lead the eye through the space that has accents of colour throughout the scheme.

You will find the china on the walls at the Elder Press Café!

We work with interior designs, architects, commercial design and fit out companies on a whole range of commercial interiors from hotel rooms and lobbies, to restaurants, cafes and retail stores.  Take a look at the projects portfolio on our website for commissions we’ve delivered both in the UK and internationally.  If you have a commission in mind, then get in touch with the studio on studio@curiousa.co.uk or call us on +44(0) 1629 826284

Meet our brand new designs at Decorex International 2019!

Curiousa & Curiousa will return to Decorex International 2019 (6-9 October) on stand F160, with a whole range of new products to showcase including this amazing 3 metre high chandelier.

We are back at Decorex International from 6-9 October and are really looking forward to seeing how the show goes in its new home of Olympia London. 

On our stand we’ll have a brand new range of Sculptural Stacked Lights displayed on a large 3m high chandelier that interplays the shapes, textures and colours the range has to offer.  Curiousa & Curiousa’s sculptural stacked glass lights have proved so popular over the years that we decided to add more designs to the range - mixing elements inspired by Native American totem poles with pieces from the existing range.

Design Director Esther Patterson says, “Layering glass with walnut wood is such a great way to mix materials. I’ve also really enjoyed experimenting with our colour palette by having each glass piece blown paler. It’s created a whole new look and I love it.”

We’ll also have new additions to our range of Siren Wall Lights. The original range married hand-blown glass with traditional bone china tableware in an imaginative twist on the decorative wall plate. To add to the range, four new glass only designs, each featuring hand-blown plates, bowls and dishes, have been created.

“I love the playfulness of our Siren Wall Light range and with these four new additions, you can be really inspired to layer the beautiful glass colours, creating a wonderfully strong, individual statement piece in countless variations”, says Esther of the new additions to the range.

Our Ume silk lanterns will be returning to Decorex this year, having created quite a stir at the 2018 show.  Made of linen and silk and taking influence from traditional Chinese lanterns, the range was originally launched with prints made from drawings and paintings by Esther.  We will be bringing two new prints to debut at Decorex and that will add to the range, making nine prints available that can cover three sizes of lantern.

New also for 2019 is the Tripod Floor Lamp that is made using the input of local artisans.  The legs are made of walnut, worked by local Derbyshire carpenter Matt Richardson that support brushed brass fittings, topped with a new 550mm diameter Ume lantern (shown here in Stoney Wood Pink).  This Floor Lamp can also be married with many of our large glass shades. The Ume’s can also be made for outdoor use and have captured the imaginations of many interior and outdoor space designers alike.

As well as encountering an Ume in the Design Encounter, you can find two new vibrant silk printed designs to add to our Ume collection, that brings the number of prints available on this design up to nine. We will also be bringing along a new Ume Tripod floor lamp.

We’re also really excited to be involved in the Design Encounter immersive space where we’ve been invited to display an Ume Silk Lantern .  Read more about this on our earlier blog.

Registrations are open now for Decorex International and we’ll be on stand F160 from 6 to 9 October. We are really looking forward to greeting visitors, so book a ticket and come down and see the show.

https://www.decorex.com/why-attend-decorex

See Curiousa & Curiousa’s Ume Silk Lantern Featured in the Design Encounter space at Decorex InternationaL

Curiousa & Curiousa will return to Decorex International 2019 (6-9 October) on stand F160, but also have an Ume Silk Lantern in our Garden Is Sanctuary print featured in the Design Encounter zone.

We’re really excited to be involved in the Design Encounter at Decorex International this year. It promises to be an immersive space where we’ve been invited to display an Ume Silk Lantern in this series of rooms curated by architect John Allsop along with interior designers Natalia Miyar, Run for the Hills, Samantha Todhunter Design, These White Walls, Zachary Pulman and Sella Concept.

Our piece will be hanging in the children’s room in the Design Encounter, which is the final space that visitors will move through before exiting the installation.  So look out for our Ume silk lantern covered in our “Garden Is Sanctuary” print, and tag us on Instagram with a post if you spot it!

Registrations are open now for Decorex International, so see you there! https://www.decorex.com/why-attend-decorex

Find out more about this exciting venture!

Meet the designers behind this year's new "Design Encounter" at Decorex International. Head upstairs and journey through a series of interconnecting spaces for a unique, immersive and personalised encounter, a boundary-pushing collaboration between Architect John Allsopp and acclaimed interior designers Natalia Miyar, Run for the Hills, Samantha Todhunter Design, These White Walls, Zachary Pulman and Sella Concept.

Join Curiousa & Curiousa at Decorex International Next Month

Curiousa & Curiousa debuted this new chandelier featuring new Sculptural Stacked Light designs at the Wirksworth Festival in advance of a launch at Decorex International 2019 (6-9 October)

Decorex International returns in 2019, relocated to Olympia London in early October.  We’re excited to be returning to the show, and will be launching a new range of Sculptural Stacked Lights displayed on a large double ring suspension that debuted at a local arts festival in Wirksworth, Derbyshire.

We’ll also be bringing along our Ume silk lanterns that caused a stir earlier in the year at Clerkenwell Design Week and we have two new Ume fabric designs to reveal too.  The Siren wall lights will also be featured, and have already caught the imaginations of many people since we launched a wider range of layered glass designs to this collection of wall lights.

Register now for Decorex International: https://www.decorex.com/why-attend-decorex

And drop us a line on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter if you are coming along.  We’ll be on stand F160 and we’d love it if you dropped by!

The Changing Face Of The Malthouse In 25 Beautiful Homes - August 2019

The warehouse brick wall finish has been retained, and the walls are filled with artworks collected over many years. Photography: Dan Duchars

The 25 Beautiful Homes Magazine showcases beautiful British interiors each month and the Malthouse, home to Curiousa & Curiousa’s Esther and husband Paul, was featured in the August issue.

Esther’s eye for vintage pieces have helped her to transform this former studio space into a colourful, bright and airy space. A former malthouse and originally bought as a studio for the Curiousa & Curiousa team, the ground floor is also the home to the Northern Light Cinema owned by the couple.  Its long history as a working building and its many guises over the years during its working life has given this building a quirky layout.  Rather than being a challenge, it became the ideal opportunity to lay out the interior as an open plan space.

The couple created an open plan living, dining, kitchen and office space with two bedrooms, using glass wall partitions to divide the rooms.  They have managed to retain a wealth of original features including the beautiful old beams and the original floor.  Furnished with an eclectic mix of vintage and modern furnishings, the resulting décor has come together organically and as a natural result of living with the space since Esther and Paul moved into the property in 2017.

Naturally a number of Esther’s glass pendant lights feature in the space including Ume silk lanterns that feature centrally in the living room area, and a large Lotus Dine Light over the kitchen bar.  There are also a pair of Japonica pendant wall lights hanging in the bedroom on the feature wall that has a vibrant wallpaper mural designed by Esther.

The full feature is on pages 58 to 63 of the August 2019 issue of 25 Beautiful Homes but here are some shots of the space for you to enjoy here on our blog!

Elegant Ume silk lanterns with grey tassels hang in the living room area, whilst in the bedroom a pair of Japonica pendant lights accent the wallpaper that Esther designed for this room. Photography: Dan Duchars

In the kitchen (pictured left), accent lighting is provided by the Mod wall lights with extended flex. A bespoke Lotus Dine Pendant with a walnut disc brings a warm light to the breakfast bar area. To the right, a Siren calls! From the Curiousa & Curiousa wall light range, this Siren light leads the eye up the steps to the shower room. Photography: Dan Duchars

The ground floor of the building is home to The Northern Light Cinema, which is Esther & Paul’s other business. Featured here are Acid Drops in Canary Yellow hanging from the ceiling, and Classic Bowls over the bar area. Photography: Dan Duchars

Esther and Paul have created a practical and inviting environment that is as warm and homely as it is visually inspiring, with an eclectic mix of vintage and modern furnishing. Featured here are lights from the Curiousa & Curiousa range: a triptych hanging of a design called Cocoon (launching next year), and a wall light (a New York flea market find) - illuminating this corner desk space. The vintage sofa is covered in Blackpop velvet, another local designer from Wirksworth. Photography: Dan Duchars

The small outdoor garden space is Esther’s next challenge! Photography: Dan Duchars

BBC2’s Remarkable Places To Eat Features The Kitchin In Edinburgh - July 2019

Curiousa & Curiousa Classic Retro shades hang in the windows of The Kitchin in Edinburgh.

Tom Kitchin is the youngest chef to have been awarded a Michelin star at the tender age of 29.  He runs a tight ship and a most excellent restaurant called The Kitchin in Leith, near Edinburgh and was featured recently on BBC2’s Remarkable Places to Eat. 

In the series Fred Sirieux is on tour to find amazing places to eat.  Chef Tom Kerridge took him to his favourite spot in Edinburgh, The Kitchin and we were given a fascinating behind the scenes tour of the kitchens, the restaurant, the front of house team and then out to see how local suppliers produce the food for this kitchen.

What truly comes out in the programme is the creativity with which Tom evaluates the produce that comes into his kitchen and how he responds to that in the menus he offers.  Responding to not just what is in season, but what is available to him *today*.

The eagle-eyed amongst you might have spotted our Classic Retro and Classic Teardrop Shades adding to the ambience of this beautiful space. We feel that we shall have to pay a visit sometime very soon!

You can watch the programme on catch up here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00072mp/ad/remarkable-places-to-eat-series-1-2-edinburgh 

Interior designer: R S Robertson